Snatch what you can, Clean & Jerk what you must. A simple idea that presents the fundamental strategy for how we select openers and competition attempts for our lifters. There’s a reason why California Strength lifters have one of the highest rates of success competition makes in the country! This is a must read if you want to maximize your performance at your next weightlifting competition! (Exact lifting percentages included)

Wes Kitts won his first Pan American Games title on the last lift of the competition, Clean & Jerking 217kg (478lbs). He was sitting in second place after posting a Snatch of 172kg (379lbs) but in a dramatic come from behind finish came away with gold for Team USA.

We sat down with Wes to ask him a few questions about the competition, training and life!

We are often asked to try out and review several products during training. Over the years, we’ve picked out our favorites and tend to lean towards the same products, even as a team. Below are some of the key items that most of us carry in our gym bags to help us get through training sessions and competitions.

Whether you’re brand new to Olympic weightlifting or are a seasoned veteran training for Nationals, if you have dreams of competing it is critical to know your competition weight class. The International Weightlifting Federation announced the highly anticipated change to the male and female weight classes and for Olympic weightlifters around the world, the decision to go up a weight class or down has been left in question.

In response to our athletes at California Strength being faced with the same question, we came up with a solution. We have analyzed six key parameters to provide you with the weight class category that is best for you. Take this quiz to receive your personalized and detailed Weight Class recommendation from USAW Senior International Coach Dave Spitz himself!

Why do we miss attempts in the Snatch? When we see more than four (4) degrees of horizontal displacement, that is the distance that the bar travels away from the body, the chances of making a successful attempt drop significantly. Two things are likely to happen, either the bar loops away from the body, causing us to miss the lift behind or the bar doesn’t achieve the height and momentum required to pull ourselves underneath, which in turn causes the bar to fall in front.

Read on to discover four technical adjustments that you can right now that will lead to more successful Snatch attempts!

Experiencing discomfort in your wrist while Snatching or feel like your turnover is too slow? Nicole Lim and the California Strength Weightlifting Team weigh in on whether or not you should release your hook grip when receiving the Snatch overhead.

We are just under four short weeks away from competing at the 2017 American Open Finals. Because our team only competes a handful of times every year, having success at this competition is really important. As we get closer to game time, I like to really hone in on a couple extra things to ensure that I won’t have too many excuses as to why I didn’t perform well (jk, I’m going to do great!).

Any exercise that requires an overhead component is largely considered a core exercise. To improve stability in your overhead movements like Snatch and Jerks, we can apply unstable components to specific movement patterns in order to increase our kinesthetic awareness. One method in particular that I have found to be a huge help over the years are perturbations.

For the most part, exercise (like weightlifting) can improve your sleep quality and duration. However, it is common to see your sleep habits disrupted as a result of aggressive exercise and that can impact your recovery. Some studies suggest that excessive or aggressive exercise can overstimulate the bodies natural stress responses and stress hormones, leading to an increased heart rate and alertness. Throw into the mix a pre-workout Fast Twitch RTD and you could have trouble falling asleep missing critical recovery gains as result. We have pulled some tips that you can implement TONIGHT to dramatically change your sleep habits and improve your recovery.

Everyone can Snatch, everyone can Clean but only champions can Jerk. - Ivan Abadjiev

Looking for a sure fire way to determine which Jerk variation is right for you? In this week's Technique Talk, we break down the similarities and differences between the Split, Power and Squat Jerk variations in an all out assault on demystifying one of the most technical movements in Olympic weightlifting.

Think your weightlifting program is perfect? You've accounted for volume, intensity, exercise selection and have lined up your periodization to peak at the perfect time; but wait. Have you added mental reps into the equation? All your blood, sweat and tears could easily be for not if the mental side of training is forgotten. Don't worry, we have you covered!

Giving proper attention to the mobility within your feet and ankles will greatly improve and strengthen your bottom position, which often means the difference between a missed or made lift on the platform.

As we begin the new year, so begins a new weightlifting cycle across the California Strength online programs. During any accumulation phase, relentless work is placed on your hamstrings, causing them to work at full capacity every day of training. To accommodate this work load, your body will be in need of a good stretch to keep up with such a rigorous training cycle. The following assisted variation allows you to not only focus on your form, but will produce a deeper stretch as well.

The wrists, like ankles, are another area of the body that often gets overlooked when warming up for your weight lifting session. If you think about it, mobile and strong wrists are critically important for pain free Snatching, Cleaning and Jerking. Not only will every overhead movement benefit from having more mobile wrists but it will also improve your front rack position, which can be the difference between a made and a missed lift! Strong and mobile wrists provide support all the way up the chain from forearm to shoulder, which in turn lessens your chance of an injury.

Thoughts from head coach Dave Spitz on the California Strength team performance at the 2016 American Open in Orlando, Florida. The weekend had a number of notable performances but were highlighted by an American Record Snatch by Wes Kitts and top team finishes of 3rd (Men's) and 5th (Women's).

Child’s Pose is a primary pose in yoga, providing a stretch for the hips, ankles and thighs. When coupled with a lat (Latissumus Dorsi) stretch, it becomes a powerhouse stretch for any athlete looking to improve their performance.

When things are going according to plan, PR's are being hit and meets won, it is easier for the athlete to honor this trust. As the athlete advances in age and PR's become scarce due to advanced training age, this trust is often challenged and might require the coach to allow the athlete to be more involved in their training decisions. The partnership should shift towards that of a collaborative role between athlete and coach at this junction and may give a positive and welcomed sense of control back to the athlete...